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Water

Volume 492: debated on Thursday 14 May 2009

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what research his Department has conducted on the effect of projected population changes on water usage; (275665)

(2) what recent estimate he has made of the likely effect of projected increases in the population on levels of consumption of water in (a) England, (b) the South East and (c) each Government Office administrative region.

Water companies have statutory duties to maintain adequate supplies of water.

In April 2007, it became a statutory requirement for water companies to prepare and maintain water resources management plans. These plans look ahead 25 years and include projections of current and future demands for water. They describe how the companies will meet this demand in order to meet their supply obligations.

These plans are regularly updated. They must take account of relevant factors, such as climate change and the most up-to-date information available on housing numbers and population forecasts for their water supply area, provided in the Government’s Regional Spatial Strategies and the relevant local authority’s Local Development Plan.

Water resources management plans were subject to public consultation for the first time in 2008.